KATHMANDU, July 5: Sales of branded slippers and sandals have gone up in the local market with the arrival of rainy season.
Although there are many branded stores in Kathmandu, with the presence of labels such as Puma, Reebok, Giordano and Adidas, all most all the store owners said they were doing brisk business.
Reebok is selling around five pairs of slippers and sandals per day, as against one or two pairs a month ago. The store has 21 different models of these footwear for both male and female, which are available in a price range of Rs 1,700 to Rs 3,500, according to Manju Maharjan, floor manager at the Reebok store at Durbar Marg.
Puma store too is witnessing a boost in sales. It currently sells around 7 to 8 pairs of sandals a day, compared with 3-4 pairs a month ago.
"Sales of the slippers and sandals have gone up compared to other seasons because people prefer slippers and sandals over shoes and high-heels during monsoon," said Phuntshok Lama, store manager of Puma Store at Durbar Marg. The store is selling 12 different models of slippers and sandals made of rubber, synthetic leather and water proof materials.
Giordano is selling around 5 pairs of slippers and sandals per day, up from 3 pairs a month ago. Ram Pyakurel, proprietor of Giordano, said sales of waterproof slippers have gone up and people are going after colorful slippers like red, yellow and green. The store has showcased four different models of Giordano slippers priced between Rs 1,190 and Rs 2,000.
"Apart from Giordano brand footwear, we are also selling Crocs brand slippers, especially targeting the teenagers and youth because of the sporty look of the footwear we sell," said Pyakurel.
Crocs brand slippers, imported from Hongkong, are available for Rs 1,490 to Rs 2,800. The store sells 3 to 4 pairs of Crocs brand slippers per day.
Different new models of footwear are on display at branded stores in the valley with price ranging from Rs 845 to Rs 3,000. The prices are around 20 percent higher than last year´s as depreciation of Nepali rupee vis-à-vis the US dollar has raised import costs.
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